Carton for packing boxes in units of five



Nov. 9, 1954 C, A, Rass 2,693,902

CARTON FOR PACKING BOXES IN UNITS OF' FIVE Filed Oct. 9, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR:

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Y L Mw ATTORNEYS NOV. 9, 1954 C, A. R055 CARTON FOR PACKING BOXES IN UNITS OF FIVE Filed Oct. 9, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORNEYS.

NNNN @NJ um United States Patent O CARTON FOR PACKING BOXES IN UNITS F FIVE Colin A. Ross, Troy, N. Y., assigner to Behr-Manning Corporation, Troy, N. Y., a corporation of Massachusetts Application October 9, 1950, Serial No. 189,212

2 Claims. (Cl. 229-27) The present invention relates to a carton which is adapted for packing and shipping units of five boxes. Units of tive boxes in one shipping carton have become of importance in the trade for the reason that it is desirable to maintain the decimal system in working out packages which the jobber and dealer can handle easily.

For example, a unit of six or seven boxes within one ICC retain the rst packing unit with the aid of the well centrally in a fixed position within the carton.

The carton of Figures l through 3 of a heavy-type cardboard, single-.faced corrugated board, double-faced corrugated board, or other similar material is constructed from a rectangular blank shown in its entirety as 10 in Figure 6 to which reference will be now had in order to describe the carton of this invention with more particularity.

The rectangular blank 10 is scored with two longitudinal score lines 11 and 12 extending in a parallel relation through the length thereof and dividing the width of the blank 10 into three portions. The blank 10 is furtherscored with transverse double score lines I3, 14 and 15 which divide the carton into side walls 16 and 18 and end walls 17 and 19. The carton is cut along the score lines 13, 14 and 15 to form slots 20 which extend from opposite edges of the blank up to their respective score lines 11 or 12. The slots 20 along with score lines 11 and 12 define inner bottom iiaps 21, inner top flaps 22, outer bottom flaps 23 and outer top flaps 24. Inner bottom aps 21 and inner top flaps 22 are additionally scored along lines 25 which may ex-. tend the width of their respective flaps for ease of scoring and are parallel to score lines 11 and 12, score lines 25 being positioned substantially intermediate their reof the usual type in order to take up the excess` space if:

is not only expensive and'time consuming in the packing of the carton but also encounters difficulty becauseof the shifting of the packages during shipping and handling with occasional consequential damage to the same.

Further, in shipping units of ve an attempt has been made to make use of an elongated rectangular carton which will carry the ve inner boxes in a single line. This method has not met with any great degree of success in view of the difliculty of handling the carton during spcctive score lines 11 or 12 and the free edge of their respective flaps. Each of the inner bottom flaps 21 and the inner top tlaps 22 are provided with two slots 26 which extend from the free edge of their ilap up to and normal to its score line 25. The inner portions 27 defined by the slots 2,6 and score lines 2S, as described hereinafter, are folded inwardly during the assembly of the carton at an angle normal to their respective inner flaps for the purpose of providing a retaining well for a .y centrally located box forming one of the five boxes to shipping because of its shape and the further difficulty of storing the carton upon arrival at its destination. l

It is, therefore, a principal object of this invention to provide a carton of preferably the square type which will suitably contain units of live boxes without the necessity of using packing which is expensive and tlme consuming in the packing of the carton and which because of its shape does not encounter difficult shippmg and storage problems.

A further object of the invention is to provide a carton capable of the above uses which is of rugged yet of simple construction and which may be manufactured at a minimum cost.

In the drawings which illustrate a preferred form of the invention:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an assembled carton of this invention showing the top inner and outer aps in their opened position; I

Figure 2 is a perspective View similar to F1gure l showing ve packing units positioned within thecarton;

Figure 3 is a perspective view similar to F1gure 2 showing the top inner flaps folded inwardly in a closed position;

Figure 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view along the line 4 4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view along the line 5-5 of Figure 4; and

Figure 6 is a plan view of a blank from which the carton of this invention is formed.

As shown in Figures l through 3 of the drawings, the carton of this invention comprises side and end walls and top and bottom closures; the top and bottom closures each including, when the carton is closed, a pair of opposed inner flaps carried by the side walls. Each inner ap has a portion intermediate its width foldable inwardly into the box on a line intermediate the length of its flap. These intermediate portions when folded inwardly define a well whose inner dimensions are substantially the same as one of the packing units to be positioned in the carton. The four remaining packing units are positioned in each corner of the carton so as to be packed in the carton formed from the blank 10.

The carton described above as being formed from the rectangular blank 1li may be either rectangular or square. ln the preferred form of the invention, as is illustrated in the drawings, the form of the assembled'earton is substantially square. Further, the width of each of the flaps 21, 22. 23 and 24 is equally substantially to onehalf the length of each of the equal length side and end walls 16, 17, 1S and` 19. Such a width permits the free ends of opposed pairs of aps to come into substantially abutting relationship upon closing the carton ilaps. Furtherrnore, each of the widths of the intermediate portions 27 is equal substantially to one-half the width of its respective flaps in order that the free ends of the intermediate portions 27 of the inner top and bottom closing flaps on one end wall may come into substantially abutting relationship upon forming the well which retains one of the live packing units centrally within the carton. Also in the preferred form of the invention wherein the five units packed in the carton are equal in size, the length of each of the intermediate portions 27 will be equal substantially to one-third the length of its respective inner flap.

Assembly of the carton from the blank 10 as shown in Figure 1 may be accomplished by folding the blank along the score lines 13, 14 and 15 to bring free edges 28 and 29 in abutting relationship, sealing these free edges together by the use of the usual adhesive tape or other means employed for assembling cartons, folding the inner bottom flaps 21 inwardly at an angle substantially normal to their respective side walls, then folding the intermediate portions of the bottom ilaps 21 inwardly into the box along the score lines 25, folding the outer bottom flaps in overlapping relationship with the inner bottom flaps, and sealing the abutting free ends 30 and 31 by an adhesive-type tape and reinforcing the bottom of the box, if desired, by stapling through the inner and outer bottom aps. The carton is packed by placing the five boxes in the carton in the position shown, one of the tive boxes being placed centrally within the well formed by the intermediate portions 27 of the inner bottom flaps 21`as shown in Figure 2, folding the inner top aps 22 inwardly into a closed position with the intermediate portions 27 in the position shown in Figure 3, closing the outer top aps 24 in overlapping relationship with the inner top aps 22, and sealing with the use of an adhesive tape.

It is further within the scope of this invention, as is apparent, to position two or more packing units in each space occupied by one of the described tve units and still maintain the desired decimal system count of units. The total volume of the two or more packing units when placed side by side or on top of each other would be equal to that volume occupied by one packing unit.

From the above description, it is seen that a carton has been provided which does not require the use of packing materials such as excelsior, shredded newspaper, etc., but which does permit the packing of boxes in units of five without the possibility of shifting in the carton during shipping. Also, it is apparent that the carton provided is of a rugged yet simple construction which may be manufactured at a minimum cost in a shape which does not cause difliculties in shipping and storing. Furthermore, the structure of the described carton of this invention permits the inspection of the contents of the carton or permits the carton to be used for display purposes if each of the tive units are identical by merely breaking open the seal of the upper outer opposed ilaps and thereby permitting inspection of the contents within the well. If desired, also, the well may be made of a size smaller or larger than that space occupied by one of the other packing units in order that a fth unit may be carried which is of different size and shape than the other four units.

As a packing unit in the centrally located well, a hollow cardboard sleeve having a cross-section conforming to the space in the well and a height equal to that of the sides of the carton may be positioned in the well. The hollow sleeve may serve as a reservoir for loose tems or accessory items related to the goods packed in the remaining four packing units. The aps 27 at the top of the carton may be inserted adjacent to the sleeve as described hereinbefore or may be left unfolded and allowed to overlay the top of the carton along with the remainder of the aps 22.

Other modications and forms of the invention than that described will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the description and the drawings being, therefore, only illustrative of the invention and not limiting.

I claim:

1. A slotted blank for folding into a carton which comprises a rectangular blank of sheet material, two parallel scores on one face thereof which run parallel to the longest edges of said blank substantially equally spaced from one another and from the nearest longest edge, three parallel scores on the same face of said blank which run parallel to the short edges thereof, said three scores being substantially equally spaced from one another and with the outside scores being substantially equally spaced from the nearest short edge, the sheet material along each of said three scores located between the long edges of the blank and the closest of said rst two scores being cut out to form slots forming four tlaps on each side of the blank attached to the central body of the blank along said two scores, scores in the rst and third of said llaps on each side of said blank along approximately the transverse median line thereof and two parallel spaced slots in each of said first and third flaps only on each side of said blank, which slots run normally in from the outer edge of their respective ap to meet said intermediate score in said ap and divide said outer edge into substantially three equal parts.

2. A carton for packing units in multiples of five to give a balanced package made by folding a rectangular blank into a carton which comprises four side walls of substantially the same length and top and bottom closures, each closure including when the carton is closed a pair of opposed straight end abutting outer flaps of substantially equal length carried by two opposite side walls, and a pair of opposed, straight end abutting inner liaps of substantially equal length carried by the other pair of opposite side walls, each inner ap only having two parallel spaced slots therein which run normally from said straight edge of the flap dividing said edge into three equal parts and extending into said ap to substantially the transverse median line thereof and defining an intermediate portion in the outer section of the ap, said intermediate portions of the inner flaps being folded inwardly normally of the plane of the inner aps directly in a straight line into the interior of the carton with the opposed, inwardly folded intermediate portions of the top and bottom closures being substantially in alignment defining an inner well in the carton.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 945,788 Lafean Jan. 11, 1910 1,023,714 Boeckel Apr. 16, 1912 2,089,067 Myers Aug. 3, 1937 2,524,516 Cody Oct. 3, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 427,218 Great Britain Apr. 17, 1935 

